


Authiel's Wrath of Heaven

by MinaValkyrie



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-17 01:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3509996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaValkyrie/pseuds/MinaValkyrie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fanfic focuses on character development of Authiel Lavellan, a Dalish female warrior, going through the events at the beginning of Dragon Age Inquisition in the mission, Wrath of Heaven. The fanfic covers the beginning to the Temple. More to follow if I get good feedback. Long 11,260 words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Authiel's Wrath of Heaven

Authiel opened her eyes to find that everything around her had changed, her whole body ached. The cold stone around her was unfamiliar and she attempted to sit up using her hands to support her. She didn’t realize at first why this was an issue, but a quick look down revealed that she was shackled to a metal bar. With her hands bound, didn’t move as she wished and what was that…thing? Her left hand pulsated with a strange green light. She stared at it a moment longer before deciding she would put the effort into sitting if for no other reason but to investigate her surroundings and the strange glow of her hand. With a grunt she was able to steady her bound hands below her and force herself up into a sitting position on her haunches. Not the most comfortable, but it would do.

She gazed at her surroundings –dimly lit, bars, guards outside of the bars…obviously a jail cell. Her heart fluttered in her chest at the realization, but she made sure to show no outward signs of distress. _A barred cell,_ the thought churned in her mind as much as it did her stomach. Thoughts raced towards her of a not so distant past that had begun in a similar way, it was all she could do to focus on the present.

 _“I can’t have this now,”_ she bitterly thought to herself. The glow in her hand quickly resolved the situation, pulsing brightly with a hissing sound and an unfamiliar pain shot up her arm. It quickly coursed through her veins and yelled aloud, doubling over. It pulsed again, the pain worsening the second time. She could focus on nothing else, and then as suddenly as it had begun – it stopped. She sat up, staring at the offending hand wondering how this _thing_ got there.

“She’s awake! The prisoner, she’s awake!” The guardsman called to another out of sight of her cell. She heard an answer but couldn’t make it out. The guardsman that had called out stood just outside the bars, he had apparently looked long enough to ascertain she was up but his back was now turned. She studied his armor, but could not discern who or what organization he belonged to. She sighed and looked at her hand once more.

 _“What happened at the conclave!?”_ Her mind screamed for answers, but there was something missing. She turned over the events in her head, surely the jailors would ask her. Her Keeper had asked she infiltrate the slave elves assigned to the conclave because the meeting would affect everyone. She had been chosen due to her previous - contact, or dealings, or whatever it had been - with humans. She would fit in better than the others, even with the vallaslin markings on her face. She was also chosen because she could handle herself if things went wrong.  The Keeper had explicitly asked that she attempt to join whoever was protecting the Divine should assassins or mercenaries appear. “ _Maybe that is what had happened?”_ She didn’t remember. She remembered there were Templars, and mages, several various levels of clergy, and slaves. Everyone had arrived.  Then, the monsters she was running from arrived, and a woman had reached out.  Then… _nothing._ The last thing she remembered, she had awakened here in chains.

Movement outside of her cell drew her attention away from her thoughts. There were several armed guards now, and the one stationed in front of her cell moved to unlock the door. She watched as he opened the door and quickly stepped aside to allow one of the others to move into her cell. A sword on his waist belt flashed in the dim light of the room – a soldier instead of a guardsman? He grumbled something under his breath, and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to her feet.

“Move.  The Seeker will judge you soon enough knife-ear.” He growled as he shoved her towards the cell door. More armed soldiers waited outside lined on both sides of the room. The man behind her, kept a tight grip on her shoulder and shoved her back to her knees when she’d reached the center. She complied easily - for now, at least. _Isn’t a Seeker like a Templar?_ Oh, how she wished she’d paid more attention to the hierarchies of the human chantry now! The soldier moved away from her and took his place amongst the others in the room. She sat, quietly pondering her hand, cursing herself for having a memory lapse. It stayed like this for what she could only guess were several minutes. She relaxed herself back down to her haunches and sighed heavily. The soldiers shifted nervously around her, some drawing their swords.

 _“They’re afraid of me….”_ The thought was cut short by the sudden opening of the door directly in front of her. An armor clad woman, followed by another woman wearing what appeared to be a cloak, entered the room. The soldiers abruptly sheathed their weapons and snapped to attention. This must be the Seeker. The woman circled where Authiel sat and the other moved in closer as well.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now. The conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.” the Seeker said, leaning down to Authiel’s ear to speak, before continuing to move around until she stood in front of her.  “Why did that sound like an accusation?” Authiel pondered silently.

“What do you mean everyone’s dead?” Authiel asked, looking up at the Seeker, attempting to phrase the question carefully, so as not to incense her further. The Seeker bent down and grabbed her glowing hand, pulling it gruffly to Authiel’s face.

“Explain _this_.” The Seeker questioned flatly. The glow responded to her, pulsing accusatorily, before the Seeker forcibly pushed her arm back down.

“I can’t.” said Authiel regretfully.

“What do you mean you _can’t?_ ” demanded the Seeker.

“I don’t know what that is, or how it got there.” Authiel answered cautiously, her brow furrowing. She wished fervently that she knew.  She could sense the answer was eluding her…but why?

“You’re lying!” The Seeker snarled, lunging towards Authiel, grabbing the front of her tunic and jerking her off balance. The hooded woman quickly stepped in and moved the Seeker away.

 _“Dead, everyone is dead!?”_ Her mind raced, willing any other memories to come through to help her explain, to…anything. The faces of the elves she had worked with for weeks before the conclave, the clergy, the Templars, the Divine… she had failed her mission so utterly.  So how was it that she was the only one still alive? Why was she being accused of killing everyone?  They must know she would never – could never – do what the Seeker was insinuating…no!  She couldn’t have…could she?

“I can’t believe it. All those people…dead?” The thought escaped her lips.  She genuinely couldn’t imagine what type of massacre had taken place, and her memory betrayed her. The words came out as disbelief, and as she looked up, it was the hooded woman who stood over her now.

“Do you remember what happened? How this began?” Her voice was softer than the Seeker’s - at least it was less accusatory.

“I remember running. Things were chasing me, and then…a woman?” The words rolled out, even Authiel knew how incredulous they sounded, but that was all she could recall.

“A woman?”

“She reached out to me, but then…” Authiel sighed heavily, knowing how she must sound in the face of the accusations. She honestly couldn’t remember anything more – and it bothered her.

“Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift.” The Seeker had turned to speak to the hooded woman and ushered her out the door. Authiel was sad to see the soft spoken woman leave, she had sounded like she might have believed something. The Seeker returned to where Authiel sat, and bent down to undo the shackles on her hands, replacing them with rope bindings. Authiel, eyes misty, looked up at her.

“What _did_ happen?” She asked, barely ensuring her voice didn’t break.

“It – it will be easier to show you.” The Seeker responded, her voice dropping tiredly. She helped Authiel to her feet and turned towards the door. Authiel simply hung her head and followed, rubbing the foreign glow in her hand. They walked through a long corridor, and up several flights of stairs. She thinks, Authiel is not paying much mind to the surroundings as she follows the Seeker, focusing on the Seeker’s shield to keep from stumbling back into her thoughts, the faces…the…

The doors were opened in front of them as they had approached and Authiel followed the Seeker into the light. The sudden change forced Authiel to shield her eyes momentarily while they adjusted to the bright snow and the sky. She followed the Seeker’s gaze upwards to the mountain, the sight there was terrifying. Authiel’s eyes widened as she studied the sky before her.  The sky was broken open by a green glow – strangely comparable to the one on her hand. It was twisted, eerily resembling a tornado.  The surrounding sky was gray, stretched out as though a rock had been thrown in a pond, and the remaining sky were merely the lingering ripples. She was awestruck.

“We call it ‘The Breach.’ It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave.” The Seeker explained, turning, only when she was finished, to Authiel.

“An explosion can do that?” Authiel asked quietly, turning her astonished gaze back to the Seeker who now approached her.

“This one did. Unless we act, The Breach may grow until it swallows the world.” The Seeker replied, tonelessly.

 _“How long has that thing been there?”_ Authiel wondered, thinking this must be some sort of nightmare. Out of nowhere, The Breach pulsed again, as did Authiel’s hand. The pain shot through her veins once more, causing her to cry out. She fell to her knees in the snow, cradling her hand, and willing the pain to subside. She tried to reason to herself that she’d endured worse, but the pain persisted. The Seeker moved down to Authiel’s level, wagging a finger in her face as she spoke again:

“Each time The Breach expands, your mark spreads…and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn’t much time.” The Seeker dropped her hand, her tone softening as she spoke. It almost sounded like she was pleading Authiel to action.

Authiel met her gaze, and inhaled deeply so she could force out the words, “I understand.”

“Then…?”

“I’ll do what I can. Whatever it takes.” Authiel replied as evenly as she could muster. Her hand was still pulsing, but the pain had dulled to an ache. If it stayed like that, she could manage better. The Seeker pulled Authiel to her feet, and began walking her out of what must be a camp or a town. Authiel isn’t sure, but all the people they pass glare angrily at her as they walk past. It wasn’t just the scorn they felt towards elves - it was something else… they, too, blamed her for the tragedy. She knew what they must be thinking by the looks they gave her and the way they scoffed at her presence - not that she blamed them.

The Seeker must have realized she was observing the townsfolk and spoke up, “They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, Head of the Chantry. The conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and Templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead.” The pair continued walking through town towards a gate, the Seeker’s voice passionate as she described the Divine.  Her voice lowered again with a tinge of trepidation as she continued, “We lash out like the sky. But we must think beyond ourselves. As she did. Until The Breach is sealed.”

The Seeker motioned for Authiel to stop and turned to her. The look on her face was serious but kind. Was this the same woman who had lunged at her earlier? It was hard to say, but she looked… _sincere_. That’s what Authiel decided, if she must put a word to it. Now that she could see it better, Authiel was now paying attention to the details of this woman’s face.  Her eyes were striking and a thin scar ran almost the full length of the Seeker’s left cheek - not unlike the scar that ran above Authiel’s own right eye. The Seeker drew a dagger from her waist belt, but Authiel did not flinch.  Instead, meticulously studying her expression, taking in every nuance.

“There will be a trial. I can promise no more.” The Seeker grabbed Authiel’s hands and cut the rope bindings. “Come, it is not far.”

“Where are you taking me?” Authiel queried slowly, striving to keep her voice low to ensure she would not draw the Seeker’s ire. As she looked around, she realized that they were now on a bridge that led out of town.

“Your mark must be tested on something smaller than The Breach.” She offered in an authoritative tone as she strode across the bridge. She beckoned for the guards to open the gates, and the pair strode through.  Authiel trailed slightly behind the Seeker until they passed through the gates to a path littered with destruction. There, Authiel took a few steps forward to study the path and barricades that had been constructed. There was a fire in the distance and smoke poured from various places. The view of The Breach itself was obscured by the mountain, and this path, it appeared, would lead them to it.

Authiel continued up the path, vaguely aware that the Seeker was following a short distance behind her. The soldiers stationed there murmured prayers to their Maker as they passed. She progressed up the path, around the soldiers and barricades, and strode towards The Breach. Somehow it seemed less frightening now that it had a name, but the ramifications of the things that the Seeker had laid out were indeed horrific. Maybe this is why the Keeper had sent her? Authiel considered the thought for a brief moment before dismissing it as preposterous. Although the Keeper and the First sometimes had premonitions or whisperings of the future, _nothing_ could have predicted this. She was sure that they would have told her more about it…steeled her for what was to come.

They finally crested the top of the hill - The Breach was closer now and there were large green balls of fire hurtling into the mountain in front of them. _This is definitely beyond the Keeper,_ she thought as she watched as more green flames fell from the sky. The Breach pulsed again, forcing her to clutch her hand as it coincided perfectly, sending the pain raging through her veins once more.

 _“I can withstand this, this pain is nothing like….“_ She took a step and the feeling immediately overwhelmed her. She crumpled to the ground again, holding the accursed mark. She wanted so badly to will it down to an ache.  She would learn how. She had done so before and would do so again.  So, she reasoned, she would simply need more time to figure out how. The Seeker had moved to Authiel’s side and gingerly helped her to her feet, placing a hand firmly on her shoulders to steady her when she stood. Authiel looked down, not wanting to meet the Seeker’s eyes this time, angered by her inability to control the pain that invaded her body.

“The pulses are coming faster now.” The Seeker offered in an almost kind tone, before releasing Authiel’s shoulders. Disgustedly, she realized how weak she must appear to this woman.  She shook her head and continued up the path towards what seemed to be another gatehouse. The Seeker followed and explained, “The larger The Breach grows, the more rifts appear, the more demons we face.”

Authiel paused for a moment at the thought of demons.  She hoped fervently that they were nothing like what she had seen briefly in Kirkwall. She pushed that thought aside as well, sure that she’d see things for herself before long.  Instead, she heard herself asking, “How _did_ I survive the blast?”

“They said you…stepped out of a rift, then fell unconscious. They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.” The Seeker said evenly. Though Authiel did not face her, she knew the Seeker’s eyes were upon her, searching for any type of reaction. Authiel gave none and continued towards the gate. The Seeker followed, shifting the conversation to the task at hand, “Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you’ll see soon enough.”

Authiel wondered who the woman was - and why couldn’t she remember her or see her face? Approaching the gate, she noticed there was another bridge ahead, and started across it towards the soldiers stationed on the opposite side. Authiel again paused to look towards The Breach – it was closer now. She took two steps towards the other side when one of the massive green fireballs struck the bridge in front of her. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the flash of light and the bridge gave way beneath her. She realized she was falling, but didn’t have enough time to brace herself for the inevitable impact. She felt a piercing pain in her left side as her right side bounced off sections of the bridge remnants. She fell forward, throwing her arms up to brace herself, as she came to an abrupt stop on a sheet of solid ice. She looked up just in time to see another green fireball smash into the ice mere feet from where she lay. Thanking Mythal and Andruil silently, her instincts kicked in and she scrambled to her feet, ignoring the throbbing in her sides. This type of pain she could deal with, leaving her feeling almost happy at being able to feel something familiar. She glanced to her left, and saw the Seeker also clamoring to regain her balance.  Just then, the ice cracked where the fireball had struck. A crystalline structure emerged, and a creature she could only presume was a demon, appeared from it.

“Stay behind me!” bellowed The Seeker as she readied her shield and sword before rushing towards the creature. Another crack in the ice, this time closer to Authiel, began to appear.  She looked around frantically for something – anything – to defend herself. Spotting a sword and shield on the remains of soldier whom had fallen from the bridge, she raced towards them to claim them. She wrested the sword from the soldier’s sheath and snatched up the shield that lay beside him before readying herself for battle.

The crack widened and another demon appeared. She lowered her shield into place and cautiously approached the creature. She made the first swing and was relieved when her sword connected with something fleshy. This was indeed something she was capable of fighting. The demon clawed at her shield, seeking to get to her, but she held firm, slashing at the thing repeatedly. It made a move to turn from her and go for the Seeker, seemingly uninterested in prey that would not back down so easily. She lowered her shield, charged, and battered the demon to the ground. Authiel moved quickly to it, stabbing downwards and connecting in its center. The demon let out a hissing wail as it dissipated, leaving only a small trace of dust on the ice. Authiel breathed heavily for a moment, pausing for a moment to collect herself and staring at the place where it had once stood. She looked around and saw the Seeker had dispatched the other demon and exhaled a sigh of relief, “It’s over.”

The Seeker approached Authiel, sword still drawn, wearing a tense expression, “Drop your weapon. _Now._ ” It was a command, and as Authiel wished to gain the trust of this woman, she dropped her hands to her sides still holding onto the sword and shield, blatantly leaving herself vulnerable to attack. She looked down as she responded, “All right. Have it you-“

“Wait,” The Seeker snapped, cutting her off. Authiel looked up at her, but did not move her weapons from her sides. The Seeker sheathed her own sword and spoke slowly, staring directly into Authiel’s eyes, “You’re right. I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless.” She turned and began to walk away, leaving Authiel standing there watching her.  She needed this woman’s trust if she was to survive long enough for the mark to kill her. The Seeker turned back to Authiel, “I should remember you agreed to come willingly.” Her expression was something Authiel could not fathom, but it was definitely not hostile. Authiel retrieved a waist belt with a sheath in a nearby broken storage crate, and placed the guige of the shield about her shoulders so that the shield rested on her back. The familiar weight of these items comforted Authiel in this moment, allowing her to feel more like herself - even if the weapons were not hers. The Seeker watched her warily without moving or speaking - perhaps pondering the situation at hand or even pondering Authiel herself?

Authiel turned and walked past the Seeker, taking the lead going up the mountain once again. She was sure the Seeker would feel more comfortable behind her now that she was armed. They began hiking up the path that brought them ever closer to The Breach. The silence between them was deafening, with Authiel’s thoughts returning to escaping to the conclave and the faces, so she sought to break the monotony as they walked.

“Where are all your soldiers?” she asked.

“At the forward camp, or fighting. We are on our own, for now.” The Seeker replied curtly. Authiel thought better of inquiring further, as it was obvious that the Seeker was still unsure of her. They continued their ascent up the mountain, past more fires, over more frozen rivers, and fighting more demons and green specters as they appeared. Or as they fell out of the sky…Authiel was unsure of which it truly was at this point. Some seemed to already be there, while others seemed to appear from those green orbs of fire. It mattered not.  All that mattered was that they stood between them and their goal, which continued looming above them in the sky. Her adrenaline kept up between battles, which became more and more frequent the higher they climbed. She was happy for this because this was _almost_ familiar. Moreover, it kept the pulsating pain in her veins at bay…or perhaps it was simply that she was oblivious to whether or not The Breach had pulsed again.  Either way, she was grateful for the break in the pain.

Climbing yet another set of stairs, the seemingly introspective Seeker finally spoke up, “We’re getting close to the rift. You can hear the fighting.”

“Who’s fighting?” Authiel wondered aloud.

“You’ll see soon, we must help them.” The Seeker answered breathlessly. Apparently, she too was getting out of breath, as the frequency of their encounters had been steadily increasing - as had the incline of the mountain pass. Authiel rounded the top of the stairs to see what was left of a wall – or was it a building, or some other of structure?  As they approached, the sound of fighting steadily grew louder, urging her to pick up the pace. In the distance, she saw soldiers fighting on what must have once served as the floor of the ancient, decrepit structure. They were fervently fighting a pack of demons, as well as a green crystalline object – one that bore a strange resemblance to that which had spawned the demons they’d fought earlier.  It hovered ominously in the sky just above their heads. Authiel dropped down to the floor, simultaneously raising her shield and sword into position as she ran to meet the other soldiers, eager to help them fend off the demons.  She fell in beside a soldier, and quickly went to work on the demon he was facing.  As soon as it fell, she rushed off to assist another soldier battling a demon. It too was quickly felled, and a voice called out just as she felt someone grab her left arm.

“Quickly, before more come through!” The voice urged, moving her hand towards the green rift floating above them.  With her palm facing out at the rift, an energy began to course powerfully through the mark in her hand. As she stared in wonder, she observed a green beam shoot from her palm into the rift. This time, it wasn’t pain she felt coursing through her veins – it was a strange sense of raw power. The stranger held her hand there, while power coursed through her hand.  Suddenly, she felt a surge and a loud crack resounded through the structure. She closed her hand and snatched it away from the stranger standing beside her in disbelief, as the rift closed.

She turned to face the stranger who stood beside her – he was an elf with no vallaslin and a staff at his side. She narrowed her eyes at him, “What did you do?” she demanded.  It sounded more accusatory than she meant for it to, but he seemed to pay no mind to her tone.

“ _I_ did nothing. The credit is yours.” He replied in a low, even, patient tone that was smooth and comforting. His face revealed nothing of what he was thinking or feeling. She stared again at the mark on her hand, turning it over as though her hand were foreign object she was observing for the first time.

“At least this is good for something.” She muttered.

“Whatever magic opened The Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in The Breach’s wake – and it seems I was correct.” The elf replied, using that same soothing tone. Authiel just continued staring at her hand, amazed and pleased that she could, indeed, be helpful with fixing whatever had happened at the conclave.

The Seeker piped in, “Meaning it could also close The Breach itself.”

“Possibly. It seems you hold the key to our salvation” The elf replied neutrally, studying Authiel. Her eyes snapped up to meet his.  She hoped that the confusion on her face was not _too_ apparent. There was still a tingling in her veins from using the mark to close the rift. She wondered if this is what magic felt like to a mage, she honestly hoped not. She wanted no magic in her veins.

“Good to know! Here I thought we’d be ass-deep in demons forever.” Another voice broke through her thoughts and she turned to see a…dwarf? He was short and stocky, but clean shaven – hadn’t she always heard they took pride in beards? He continued, “Varric Theras: Rogue, Storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.” He approached Authiel as he explained, and with the last bit his eyes had turned the Seeker with a wink. They must have a history together, Authiel thought as her eyes moved from his face to the fascinating weapon he held on his back. It appeared to be almost the size of him and had an unusual stock.

“That’s…a nice crossbow you have there.” She smiled, hoping to win _someone_ over since it seemed everyone was sure of her guilt.

“Ah, isn’t she? Bianca and I have been through a lot together.” He said wistfully, fully eyeing the weapon on his back. He almost purred with affection for it. What a strange…dwarf, he must be a dwarf.

“You named your crossbow Bianca?” She inquired raising an eyebrow, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Of course. And she’ll be great company in the valley.” Varric replied matter-of-factly.

“Absolutely not.” The Seeker moved toward Varric, “Your help is appreciated Varric, but…”

“Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker?” He cut her off sharply, “Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore. You need me.” He almost _smirked_? Whatever their relationship was, it was complicated at best. The Seeker made a disgusted noise as she turned from him, and walked past Authiel making a point to move past all of them before grumbling under her breath.

“My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions. I am pleased to see you still live.” That soothing voice again, _did this elf speak in any other tone?_ She wondered as her eyes caught his gentle smile.

“He means, ‘I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.’” Varric chimed in.

“Then I owe you my thanks.” Authiel said politely, a smile playing on the edges of her lips. _“Someone would choose to keep me alive despite the accusations?”_ The thought was fleeting, but pleasing.

“Thank me if we manage to close the breach without killing you in the process.” Solas replied, more dryly than his previous words, and turned to the Seeker. “Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have seen. Your prisoner is no mage. Indeed, I find it difficult to imagine _any_ mage having such power.” His voice turned more serious describing the situation.

“Understood. We must get to the forward camp quickly.” The Seeker, Cassandra, replied to him as she moved forward on the path. Solas quickly matched her pace.

“Well, Bianca’s excited!” Varric exclaimed to Authiel with what could only be called a mischievous smile before following suit. Authiel stood there for a moment, wonder what her place in all this truly was. Solas had said she was no mage, and that was undoubtedly true. There was not a magical bone or otherwise anywhere in her body despite the…no. She wouldn’t let her mind wander there, she had an immediate task. With a shake of her head, she too followed the group out of the ruined structure back onto the path up the mountain. The Seeker was leading the group this time, she said something but the wind caught her words and ripped them from her. While they walked Authiel again had a chance to assess the situation. She found her new…companions…intriguing. She had not met a dwarf before, well not really met. There were dwarven merchants in cities like Kirkwall, but she had never approached one or spoke to them. She wondered about the elf, Solas, he carried a staff and kept her alive. She wondered where he would have trained in magic without having any vallaslin, he did seem knowledgeable on the subject and the Seeker trusted his judgment. That was perhaps the most puzzling, the Seeker knew these two, rather strange, people – how would such people even meet?

Another green ball of fire struck the path ahead. “Glad you brought me now Seeker?” Varric called out as he brought his crossbow to arms. Authiel readied her sword and shield again before following the Seeker towards the demons and specters that emerged. As she ran towards them, a strange feeling surrounded her skin and she noticed a blue spark surrounding her arms as she glanced down. _A barrier?_ Solas was indeed a mage, and without knowing her or her background, had surrounded her in a magical barrier. The demon swiped at Authiel and she ducked just prior to making contact, she needed to focus. She rolled to the side and caught the creature in its flank with her sword. She drew back to strike again and made contact at the same time three arrows pierced the front of the beast. It dissipated and she focused her attention on a specter. She brought her shield up as it threw some sort magic ball at her, the shield stopped the blow and the barrier around her pulsed wildly. She was not used to fighting like this. She started towards the specter again and raised her sword to swing. Another ball of magic emanating from elsewhere hit the specter, freezing it on contact. Authiel was already mid swing and came down on the frozen statue hard, the ice shattered and she jumped back to avoid the flying shards. She looked around but all the creatures had been vanquished, so she sheathed her sword but kept her shield on her arm. She looked down at her hands and the barrier dissipated, the feeling of it surrounding her gone. She breathed out a sigh, not of exhaustion, but of relief.

Perhaps her face had betrayed her, because as she looked up she saw Solas eyeing her with a raised brow. She broke eye contact with him quickly and strode towards a set of stairs that led further up the mountain.

“So, _are_ you innocent?” Varric asked.

“I don’t remember what happened.” Authiel replied weakly, still frustrated that the memories would not return to her.

“That’ll get you every time. Should have spun a story.” The dwarf quipped looking up at her, keeping her pace. He smiled too, and Authiel couldn’t help but return it, even if she was sure it looked pathetic on her face after that last fight.

“That’s what _you_ would have done.” The Seeker replied brusquely.

“It’s more believable, and less prone to result in premature execution.” Varric replied back quickly, still smiling but looking behind them to the Seeker. Another set of demons waited at the top of the stairs and Authiel was thankful she hadn’t put her shield away. A ball of magic came at them and Authiel stepped in front of Varric blocking it easily with her shield. She ran up the last few steps whilst drawing her sword again and stabbing at the specter that had sent the shot at them. That feeling again, she felt enveloped by magic, another barrier surrounded her. She shook off her discomfort and faced the beasts before her, the others joining and fighting at her side. “ _This is what will take some getting used to.”_ She thought as she sunk her blade into another enemy. She was used to fighting alone, with other warriors and sometimes archers – but they were all elven. The Keeper and the First, and even the Second had never fought with her. Fighting with a mage beside her was strange and so utterly foreign it unnerved her. At least he was an elf, she attempted to reason, surveying the field and seeing it empty. She didn’t put her sword away this time, the encounters were coming too quickly.

More stairs, they seemed to be never ending, another turn and even more stairs. The group quiet after their last encounter, catching their breath for the moment as they continued upwards.

“Another rift!” The Seeker called out, cresting the top of the current set of stairs.

“We must seal it! Quickly!” Solas yelled in response, more emotion and urgency in his voice than Authiel had heard. The group ran up the rest of the stairs at the ready to see one of those crystalline objects floating just in front of a gate.

“They keep coming! Help us!” A soldier cried out, engaged with a demon. Authiel ran to his aid first, he looked bedraggled. _“How long had they been fighting these already?”_ The sounds of swords, arrows, and the hum of magic filled the air as the group made quick work of the demons.

The last one felled she heard Solas yell, “Use the mark!” Authiel turned to the rift and raised her marked palm towards it. The energy in her veins started to surge, she focused on it pushing it towards the rift. A stream of green energy shot from her hand and made contact with the rift, she heard a low hum in her ears after it had connected. The pitch rose higher and higher until the mark surged, and she closed her hand breaking the contact. The rift also surged and vanished with a low bellowing sound. Her veins tingled from the sensation. She looked at her hand, the mark had not grown thankfully.

“We are clear for the moment.” Solas said flatly, walking up beside Authiel.

“Whatever that thing on your hand is, it’s useful.” Varric said walking up to her other side, and there was that smile again. Did he ever stop smiling? Cassandra called to the guards to open the gate and the group walked inside. Another bridge lay before them, but this one was filled with supplies and soldiers, and even a tent on the other side. She looked up at the peak of the mountain, they were just below The Breach now. She sheathed her sword and put her shield on her back, not wanting to appear anymore a threat than they already perceived her to be. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply the mountain air. _“Am I sure this isn’t a horrible nightmare?”_ Her thought was broken by the sound of heated arguing. She opened her eyes again, looking down the length of the bridge, not a dream…

The Seeker strode past her walking up to a table in front of the tent on the opposite end. Authiel followed behind her, but didn’t quite match her quick pace. She saw the hooded woman standing there, Leliana was it? And a clergyman of some sort. His eyes met hers directly, they were angry and fierce but she ensured that she did not look away and instead walked up next to the Seeker to stand.

“Ah, here they come.” The man said snidely.

Leliana rounded the table and came to stand before them, “You made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is-“

“I know who she is.” The Chancellor cut her off sharply, “As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution.” He stated, his chest slightly puffed.

“Order me?” The Seeker spoke up and approached him, repugnance filled her words “You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!”

“And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!” He sneered back at her, shaking his head in disbelief at her. Authiel watched this unfold in front of her with wide eyes, taking in the situation.

“We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know.” Leliana spoke up, but kept her tone quiet as she had earlier.

The Chancellor raised his hands in front of him, waving them as he continued on, “Justinia is dead! We must elect a replacement, and obey _her_ orders on the matter!”

Authiel had to speak up, this bickering was ridiculous. How did he not see there was a hole in the sky not far from where they were standing? “Isn’t closing The Breach the more pressing issue?” She piped into the conversation, almost immediately regretting her decision to speak up. The Chancellor turned to her again, the same hate-filled look in his eyes.

“You brought this on us in the first place!” He yelled, his eyes piercing hers, he was sure of her guilt. She broke contact to watch the Seeker to her left, who frowned and approached the table menacingly. “Call a retreat, Seeker.” He continued on, his voice dropping as his focus turned to her instead, “Our position here is hopeless.”

The Seeker placed a hand on the table between them, her other hand twitching as though she was resisting the urge to ball it into a fist, but her voice came out evenly, “We can stop this before it’s too late.”

“How?” The Chancellor queried, raising his hands again, animated as he spoke, “You won’t survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers.”

“We must get to the temple. It’s the quickest route.” The Seeker said, ignoring him.

“But not the safest. Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.” Leliana chimed in again with her sweet voice. She motioned towards the mountains to the right of them.

“We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It is too risky.” The Seeker replied quickly.

The Chancellor was not done pleading for retreat yet, “Listen to me. Abandon this now before more lives are lost!” His voice was urgent, full of concern.

A large pulse from The Breach broke their conversation as all eyes turned towards the skies. More fireballs fell from the heavens as they watched. Authiel’s hand pulsed with it, her veins on fire for a moment again, she held the offending hand with her other one and willed the pain down. This time it seemed to work. “At least I’m finally getting the hang of this.” She thought dryly staring at the thing, but when she looked up after the pulse had passed all eyes had turned to her. She felt a quick flush attempt to reach her cheeks, she hated being this vulnerable in front of so many people.

The Seeker spoke first, “How do _you_ think we should proceed?”

The flush disappeared, replaced instead by indignation. “Now you’re asking me what _I_ think?”

“You have the mark” Solas said quickly from behind her.

“And you are the one we must keep alive. Since we cannot agree on our own…” The Seeker finished his thought. Her eyes locking on to Authiel’s, her gaze was so striking. Somehow this was her decision? Such a thing would never have come down to her in the past so she picked what she was most comfortable with, what she knew.

“I say we charge.” Authiel replied, keeping her voice stern and not breaking eye contact with the Seeker. She turned then to look at the Breach and continued, “I won’t survive long enough for your trial. Whatever happens, happens now.” The Seeker moved away from her then and began giving orders.

“Leliana, bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone.” Leliana bowed quickly and left to her task. The Seeker moved past the Chancellor and Authiel as well as Varric and Solas followed her.

“On your head be the consequences, Seeker.” The Chancellor said accusatorily. He meant it, but the Seeker paid no mind and continued walking to the gate on the opposite end of the bridge. Authiel followed her closely, keeping pace. The doors were opened and they trudged in the snow up the mountain towards their goal. The walk was silent, and there were no demons in their path this time. Authiel couldn’t believe that the Seeker would have asked her opinion, let alone supported it and moved on in the face of the Chancellor’s rhetoric, without question. It eased her mind slightly, perhaps she would gain the Seeker’s trust. She studied the symbol emblazoned on the Seeker’s shield as she followed up the mountain. A glowing eye, it suited the Seeker – suited Cassandra. Her own eyes striking as they were, and her raw determination that she exuded when she spoke. Authiel couldn’t help but smile at the thought, this woman that lunged at her not so many hours before had gained her admiration in such a short time. Her new found companions were nothing if not intriguing.

A half fallen structure loomed before them and the group entered to see a grim scene. On one side there were supplies, and tents aligned, and on the other there were the bodies of the fallen lined up neatly in the snow as one of the soldiers wrapped each body carefully in a white sheet. Beyond them were a few stairs and more doors through which the sounds of a fight filtered. Authiel pulled her shield off her back readying it, and unsheathed her sword. She jogged past the Seeker, she could feel the soldiers’ eyes upon her as she did so, towards the open doors.

A rift loomed a short distance away, she jumped down from the structure to join the other soldiers on the field fighting the demons that had appeared from it. She would be a pro at killing demons before nightfall she felt, or at least before her death. And she would pour her heart and soul into protecting those that weren’t cursed with the mark. She dodged a demons clawed hand and rolled easily to strike at it as it lurched forward. Her sword hit the mark, and she pulled back to slash at it again and – an arrow struck its side and it fell. The now almost familiar buzz of a barrier clung to her skin as she turned to face the next beast. She saw it swipe at a soldier’s flank and charged it fiercely, knocking it to the ground as her shield made contact. She stabbed the center of the creature as it flailed, and it dissipated with a hiss. The soldier looked at her from behind his lion shaped helmet for a moment before returning his attention to the specter he was fighting. She moved so her back was towards him and readied her shield seeing a green ball come hurtling at them, she deflected it away and her barrier went wild for a moment. She kept her shield raised and approached it, her sword striking it barely before it turned to ice. She smiled since she knew what to do this time, she raised her sword and shattered the icy statue before her.

This time there was a second wave of demons, they sprung from the ground suddenly. Two of them, tall and wiry in appearance. She watched as one disappeared for a moment and sprang up beside her, the force of the jolt knocking her to the ground. She scrambled to get up quickly and raise her shield before it swiped at her. She looked up at the demon and it appeared to her as though it were a possessed Ent, but with a tail. She struck at its legs over and over, barely able to keep the long arms from reaching her as she dodged and rolled between its legs. She saw magic hit it, and then a barrage of arrows before it shrieked and dissipated. She turned, scanning the battlefield for more demons and when she saw none she approached the rift, this too she would master it seemed. She raised her palm and the hum came more quickly this time, and she did not fight the feeling in her veins. The glow of her hand connected with the rift and grew in pitch as it had done before. She focused on it and closed her hand when it reached its crescendo, closing the rift in the sky.

“Sealed, as before. You are becoming quite proficient at this.” Solas said, a bit out of breath, as he walked up to Authiel.

“Let’s hope it works on the big one.” Varric said as he passed by, beginning to walk on to their goal.

“Lady Cassandra, you managed to close the rift? Well done.” This new voice belonged to the soldier Authiel had stood next to earlier, he now held his lion helmet at his side, and his sword and shield were away. He was tall and imposing with his red and yellow armor outlined around the collar by what appeared to be a mane. Authiel couldn’t keep a smile from tugging on the edge of her lips, a lion of a man stood before her, and he dressed the part.

“Do not congratulate me, Commander. This is the prisoner’s doing.” Cassandra replied to the soldier, turning towards Authiel and motioning to her. The _prisoner_ , she wished they’d asked her name so they could call her anything else, but so far no one was interested in knowing. She walked towards the Commander, studying his interesting choice in armor more closely as she moved to Cassandra’s side.

“Is it? I hope they’re right about you. We’ve lost a lot of people getting you here.” His eyes met hers, they were golden, and every bit as striking as the Seeker’s if not more so. His tone was even, if not upset, at the loss of his troops. Authiel wished she had something worthwhile to offer, to say but instead her words just fell out.

“You’re not the only one hoping that.” It was meek, and she dropped her eyes to look away from his and stared instead at the ground.

“We’ll see soon enough, won’t we?” He replied to her, his voice low. He moved towards the Seeker, “The way to the temple should be clear. Leliana will try to meet you there.” His voice sounded much nicer when he spoke to her. _“Dithara-ma”_ Authiel cursed to herself, wishing she’d said anything else.

“Then we’d best move quickly. Give us time, Commander.” The Seeker replied to the Commander, swiftly and turned to continue as well. Authiel looked up and caught the Commander’s eyes again.

“Maker watch over you – for all our sakes.” He said flatly, and turned to march back to the structure with the other soldiers. She shook her head, and stared again at the ground before following Cassandra further down the path. Nothing could prepare her for the scene that lay at the edge of their path.

She hadn’t even realized where they were it was so torn asunder. She was the first to drop down from the path to the remains of the structure or road or whatever it had been that led to the temple. Bodies frozen in fear, dropped to their knees holding their faces or mid-scream left in place in front of them along the floor. Some were burning with an unnatural fire. The Breach was closer than ever before, hanging just over top of the remnants of the building directly in front of them. It was horrific. All these bodies were…the faces came flooding back to her. These were the clergy, the Templars, the _elves_ , the... she walked cautiously past each body, careful not to disturb it. Their faces were twisted in fear and horror, whatever had happened, whatever she couldn’t remember, it had done _this._ Her stomach felt as though it would tie itself in knots just being in this place, looking at this scene. It was sickening.

“The Temple of Sacred Ashes.” Solas commented.

“What’s left of it,” Varric added quietly.

“That is where you walked out of the Fade and our soldiers found you.” Cassandra said suddenly, motioning to an area just beyond where they were. She continued, “They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.” She said it slowly, drawing out the last line as if she was hoping it would prompt something from Authiel. But Authiel had nothing to offer, and this time, kept her mouth shut. They continued walking now ducking into the structure, past more bodies, each one posed more gruesomely than the last and more and more were still on fire. Their teeth were missing, and the skin or whatever covered them now clung to their bones tightly so you could not make out what or who they once were. Authiel stepped lightly amongst them, moving further into the center of the Temple before stopping at what was once a balcony to look up and see the largest crystalline object in the center to the temple, positioned directly below The Breach. She stared at it, her gaze moving upwards seeing that it connected directly with the large hole in the sky. This thing was the key. The air churned around them, the ripples in the sky were much closer directly about their heads. The others gathered round her and joined in staring at the large rift.

“The Breach _is_ a long way up.” Varric commented, staring up his face scrunched in disbelief of the scene.

“You’re here. Thank the Maker.” A silvery voice said from behind them, causing Authiel to break her gaze and turn to see Leliana approaching them.

“Leliana, have you men take up positions around the Temple.” Cassandra said to Leliana, and she and her men quickly left to follow the instructions they’d been given. Cassandra then turned to Authiel, “This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?” That determined look again, Authiel returned it this time.

“I’m assuming you have a plan to get me up there?” She said, returning her gaze to the rift.

“No. This rift was the first, and it is the key.” Solas replied from beside her, “Seal it, and perhaps we seal The Breach.”

“Then let’s find a way down. And be careful.” Cassandra added, there was an eagerness in her voice. Authiel figured that she should get this over with, if she was to die it would be sealing the hole in the sky, she steeled herself for what was to come and with a deep breach walked on from the balcony scanning for a way to the bottom of the temple. She spotted it, they would need to walk around to the other side to get down safely.

“Bring forth the sacrifice.” A loud voice boomed above them. It belonged to a man but it was unfamiliar. Authiel looked around for the source of it but kept walking cautiously along the broken corridor to reach the other side of the Temple.

“What are we hearing?” Cassandra commented from behind her, she too looked like she could not find the source of the voice.

“At a guess: the person who created The Breach.” Solas offered, emotionlessly. They moved forward towards some large red crystal rocks that jutted out from the side of the mountain along the trail in front of them.

“You know this stuff is Red Lyrium Seeker.” Varric said quickly, apparently alarmed by the sight of the stuff.

“I see it, Varric.” The Seeker replied flatly.

“But what’s it _doing_ here?” Varric asked insistently.

“Magic could have drawn on Lyrium beneath the Temple, corrupted it…” Solas offered an explanation in his smooth tone, perhaps hoping to calm Varric.

Varric scoffed, “It’s evil. Whatever you do, don’t touch it.” Authiel looked back at Varric to see that the dwarf had a serious expression on his face, his brow furrowed with disgust and perhaps a twinge of fear as he eyed the rocks. She continued along the path, carefully avoiding the Red Lyrium, and the disembodied voices continued to ring out around them.

“Keep the sacrifice still.” It was the same male voice as before but this time it was followed by that of a woman.

“Someone help me!” The woman’s voice cried out, the distress obvious.

“That is Divine Justinia’s voice!” Cassandra exclaimed, her voice filled with upset and disbelief. They were finally at the lowest edge they could find and Authiel dropped down to the floor below so they could finally approach the rift. Her hand pulsed, but her veins did not throb as they had done before, at least not yet.

“Someone help me!” The Divine’s voice rang out again. But this time it was answered,

“What’s going on here?” Authiel stopped, her heart jumped in her chest and she put a hand up to keep it from leaping to her throat. This last voice belonged to her.

“That was your voice. Most Holy called out to you. But…” Cassandra said aloud, it had not escaped her either, they had all heard it. Just then The Rift pulsed and engulfed the area in a white light, Authiel and her companions took a few steps back from where they were standing. Authiel shielded her eyes for a moment, but when she looked up a horrible scene was playing out in front of them. The Divine hung in front of them, larger than life, her arms up as though being crucified by a red magic that surrounded them. Authiel watched as she saw herself enter the room with the Divine, looking confused but determined.

“What’s going on here?” The other her inquired, hurriedly. The whole scene must not be playing before them, her voice was hinged in worry and fear.

“Run while you can! Warn them!” The Divine cried out to the other Authiel.

“We have an intruder” That man’s voice again, this time coming from a shrouded black specter standing in front of the Divine. There was no face, and hardly a shape, it was like a black shroud with glowing red eyes that spoke and the shroud did not possess the shape of anything remotely human. Authiel’s eyes widened as she watched but she remained still seeing how this unfolded.

“Kill the elf!” The dark figure barked. Another pulse from the rift and the white light shone over them again, erasing the scene from the sky before them. Now all that remained was the rift.

“You _were_ there! Who attacked? And the Divine, is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?” Cassandra asked everything so quickly, she was visibly upset as she moved to Authiel and stood in front of her, her eyes accusing Authiel without her words needing to. Her tone was terse, she wanted – no she needed answers, but Authiel had none.

“I don’t remember…” Authiel said, she made sure to keep her voice low but stern as she returned the Seeker’s gaze. She wanted to know as much, if not more than the Seeker but the answers were beyond her grasp. She hated feeling this way, what had happened? Why didn’t she prevent it? Stop this shrouded figure from killing all those people? _Why hadn’t she been stronger?_

“Echoes of what happened here. The Fade bleeds into this place.” Solas interrupted her thoughts and the Seeker turned from her to walk to Solas who had moved just in front of the rift. “This rift is not sealed, but it is closed…albeit temporarily.” Solas continued, and Authiel moved towards him to stand next to the Seeker to hear him better. “I believe that with the mark, the rift can be opened, and then sealed properly and safely.” He continued his explanation, but his smooth voice became suddenly as serious as the expression he now wore. “However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.”

“That means demons. Stand ready!” Cassandra called out to the troops that surrounded the Temple, focused on this single point. All of the previous emotion had drained from her voice, and she was again the authoritative figure amongst them. Authiel readied her sword and shield along with the other soldiers surrounding them. The moment was tense as they waited for everyone inside the temple to ready their weapons and train them on the rift. Authiel looked to the Seeker who nodded to her, a signal to open it, once she determined the troops were ready.

Authiel hoped she was ready for what was to come. She mouthed a short prayer to Mythal before approaching the rift. She held her sword ready in her right hand and raised her left, the shield firmly braced on her forearm, towards the rift. She opened her palm, and the buzz in her veins came much quicker this time, the energy surged hard and fast through her and the green energy shot out to the rift making contact almost instantly. This feeling was different, the hum in her ears was low and then moved into a high screech, she closed her hand quickly when she felt the rift surge back at her. She stumbled from the sudden jolt and looked back to see a great form appear, and roar. The largest demon she had seen stumbled from the rift and kneeled before them. It had spikes on its shoulders, horns, and looked as though it was carved from the mountain with its thick, rocky skin. Authiel stared up at it, even kneeling it was huge, like a giant boulder. It’s eyes…all six or so of them staring at the group before it, it’s mouth curled in a sneer showing off its large pointed teeth.

“Now!” The Seeker barked, raising her sword. Arrows began pelting the beast from all directions as it stood up, it loomed even larger now. It roared again, brushing the arrows off as though they were but mere annoyances. Authiel readied her sword and shield with the rest of the soldiers on the ground and charged.

They struck at the beast’s ankles, able to hit little higher while it stood and towered over them. It jerked its head back at their attack and held its belly, laughing low and as loud as its growl. It _laughed_ at them. Authiel had never seen such a sight and her blood ran cold, what could they do to defeat this monster?

“We must strip its defenses, wear it down!” The Seeker called out amongst the chaos. _But how?_ Authiel dodged it from stomping on her and attempted to sink her blade in its ankle, but just the clang of her sword rang out as she stumbled backwards. Its defenses were like that of a rock, how could they defeat it? The demon pulled out what appeared to be a large purple whip of lightning to use on the soldiers. Authiel rolled to safety and ran around a wall to be out of the monster’s sight. She was close to the rift itself again and her mark pulsed. She looked down and the green glow consumed her hand, it was pulsing, like it needed to do something. She came back out from behind the wall and found the rift, ensuring she was a good distance from the end of the monster’s whip. It was busy attempting to kill the other soldiers and her companions for the moment, she felt horrible about leaving them there, but they needed to try something to lower the demon’s armor.

Authiel raised her palm to the rift and the green pulse hummed, quickly again and the energy shot out connecting with the green crystal that sat in the middle of the rift. She watched as it changed shape and form several times, affected by her mark. She felt the hum grow louder and when it peaked she closed her hand with the surge. The surge caused the crystal to pulse and shot out a shockwave around them. The demon fell to its knees in front of the soldiers. Finally, instead of the clanging of swords, she heard them connecting. She ran to the demon to assist with their attempts to kill it. Unfortunately, it did not stay on the ground long before it moved back to its feet, whipping at the soldiers once more.

“There’s more coming through the rift!” She head the Seeker cry out, and looked to the side to see smaller demons, like the ones they had fought before, come out of the rift. She raced back to kill them as quickly as she could and keep them from the soldiers. One demon down, then another, then she had concentrated on the small ones in front of her and lost her awareness of the giant demon. She felt an electrifying pain discharge through her leg and she lost her balance, falling hard on her stomach. She struggled to get up, but her leg wasn’t cooperating. She looked up in time to see the whip come for her again, and she rolled to the side, it narrowly missing her arm. The demon cocked its head back again to laugh. She furrowed her brow with determination, she would not die before that thing did, and pushed herself to her feet.

She approached the rift again, limping this time as quickly as she could just out of the beast’s range. She raised her palm and the crystal responded even faster this time, contorting until it pulsed, sending the demon again to its knees. She forced herself to run to assist the others in attacking it this time. She arrived plunging her sword in its shoulder again and again and _clink_. The beast rose to its feet again towering over them. It had regained its armor yet again. More demons poured from the rift and Authiel limped back, weakly charging the first one she met but it was enough to knock it off balance and kill with a single downward blow of her sword. She cut through the next one, a few other soldiers had followed her lead and were dispatching the other smaller demons staying just out of the whip’s reach. Authiel glanced back to see that Cassandra and a small band had taken it upon themselves to draw the full ire and focus of the giant demon. She was thankful someone had a plan for this chaos and moved to the rift again.

She raised her palm again, the connection and surge coming instantly this time with the pulse. A wicked smile grew on Authiel’s face, she knew that they could defeat this thing now. The pain in her leg subsided with the realization, and the fierce adrenaline pumping harder through her veins than even the accursed mark’s magic. The pulse came and demon dropped to its knees yet again. Authiel turned, this time charging the beast.

“Ar tu na’din!” She yelled, her sword pointed out as she ran, then it connected. The sickening sound of soft tissue being rent rang out in the air, as she sunk the sword nearly to the hilt in one of the beast’s many eyes. It stopped moving, and Authiel ripped her blade back from the beast’s eye with a grunt, having to steady the action with a foot resting on the monster’s face. Blood and gore coated her blade and began spilling to the ground around her from the wound. The wicked smile still spread on her face, she was triumphant as she turned from the beast and walked again towards the rift. Her limp began again as some of the pain returned, and she drug the tip of the blade of her sword behind her as she approached the rift again. This would be the last time.

“Now seal the rift!” Cassandra called somewhere behind Authiel. She heard her but just barely, her mind was consumed with her triumph, the faces of her clan, the faces of those that died here, the frustration that she couldn’t remember what happened to them, the battled to get here, this final battle, this final…moment.

Authiel dropped her sword and shield, “Ma nuvenin,” she replied to Cassandra looking at her briefly and nodding. Authiel closed her eyes and raised her palm to the rift, the hum began inside of her veins again, much lower than before. She opened her eyes to see the energy flow from her hand to the rift. The hum grew louder, and louder, into almost a frenzy within her ears. The verve of the mark flowing in her veins whirred painfully this time. The pitch rose with the energy that was pouring out of her, she focused all of her attention to the rift, all of what was left of her will put into this single task. Then the surge came, it came with a deafening explosion of energy around them and a blinding white light. Her hand closed on its own as she fell to her knees.

“Ma ghilana mir din’an.” The words whispered from her lips as the darkness took her.

 

 

 

 


End file.
